Succession
by Akeru-chan
Summary: Ten years after the Zero Requiem, lives are changing again. Light fluff, SuzaLulu. This story really is a series of one-shots set in the same universe. Hiatus.
1. Suzaku 1

**Title**: Succession

**Warning**: Character death (not an angsty one!); Spoilers for Turn 25

**Pairing**: implied SuzakuLelouch

**Disclaimer**: Code Geass R2 and all related characters belong to Sunrise and CLAMP 3

**AN**: Aah, I just can't get this out of my head. I don't know if anyone has written this type of story yet, but it was bugging the hell out of me, so I wrote this in biology class. Also, I rewrote this in a slightly different style. I liked the last version, but it was weird. I'm not sure if this one is better... Tell me what you think.

Unbeta'ed. And FFN hates me. The weird formatting is not intentional.

* * *

**Part 1**

_Suzaku POV_

_.  
_

Ten years of solitude had brought him to this point in his life.

He had abandoned piloting a Knightmare Frame for just as long.

His duties now consist of escorting and protecting Nunnally.

As well as being the prefect symbol of the protector of peace.

It's no easier a burden to bear than when he took up the mantle those ten years ago.

.

Some knew who he was.

Kururugi Suzaku.

But he had offered neither acknowledgment nor explanation.

They eventually accepted his silence.

No one had seen his face again.

.

He was treated as Zero, everywhere he went.

The man of miracles, valued for his opinions.

But the world can handle itself without Zero now.

It had learned to trust the leaders that it had chosen.

Zero had become unnecessary.

.

Tomorrow will be his epilogue to the Zero Requiem.

A requiem that he had no hand in scripting.

.

He had worked hard for his chance to rewrite the end.

.

Tomorrow, Zero will die.


	2. CC 1

**Part 02**

_C.C. POV_

_.  
_

Ten years she had waited.

Compared to her life before she became Lelouch's accomplice, it had meant little.

She had bidden her time, waiting for the right moment to make her move.

She wasn't a bad chess player, though not many knew the fact.

.

Her contract with Lelouch was about to end.

Her wish is going to be fulfilled.

Both of her wishes.

.

She had been loved.

Not in a romantic way, perhaps, but she was loved.

It was enough.

.

Lelouch will be fine.

He won't be lonely ever again.

She had made sure of that.

.

She hadn't told him anything.

This will be her gift to him, as compensation for the curse that she had set on him.

.

She had been looking forward to tomorrow for a long time.

.

The world will see her smile one last time.


	3. Suzaku 2

**Part 3**

_Suzaku POV_

_

* * *

_  
She came to him, two years ago to the day. Eight summers had passed since he put on Zero's mask. By then, he had become used to his lifestyle. There was no more running from the truth. There was nowhere to run to. Every day, he shouldered the burden of Lelouch's trust, Lelouch's life, and Lelouch's _Geass_. Every day, he kept his promise.

It wasn't funny that he had cried for him, when he stood there, trembling from pain. It wasn't funny at all. He was no longer his Knight. That relationship ended the day he died. At that moment in time, the world saw Zero executing the brilliant, beautiful, _evil_ Emperor of Britannia. But he could only find his childhood best friend in those amethyst eyes.

He saw a flash of those eyes the day he found C.C. lying on his bed, studying his photo albums. He had shaken off his feeling of shock with difficulty. He hadn't expected to see her again. After all, C.C. was only important to him because of her connection to Lelouch.

It had been eight years since he had to use it, but he almost pulled his gun on her. His reflexes had not been dulled by peace. Living as Zero, he always maintained a sense of watchfulness, lest someone who shouldn't discovered the face under the mask.

He had questions he wanted to ask. _Where have you been? Did you mourn for him as I did?_ And most importantly, _Why are you here? _He asked none of them. These eight years had honed his patience well. There was no rush. There was no one to rush for.

He went about his business, leaving C.C. sitting where he found her. It wasn't until almost half an hour later that she shattered the silence with a question of her own.

"Do you wish to form a contract with me, to receive a Geass, and in return, grant a wish of mine?"

The stillness that followed was broken when Suzaku whirled around to face her, his face twisted with anger. But when he saw the kind smile on C.C.'s face, he abruptly stopped what he was going to say. Turning away, he walked jerkily towards the fireplace, his whole body shaking.

* * *

C.C. left not long after that, leaving a pair of green contacts on Suzaku's bed. Her parting remark was to tell him to use his Geass regularly.


	4. CC 2

**Part 4**

_C.C. POV_

_

* * *

_

The time had come for her last wish to be fulfilled. She was glad that Suzaku hadn't kept her waiting for too long. But then again, she hadn't expected him to. His desire to see this through was just as great as her desire to see this end.

The place she had chosen was one filled with memories of her most life-changing time, before she met Lelouch. As one was passed to her here, so will she pass it on to another in turn. It was fitting, she thought. A tribute to her past.

When he arrived, she had been kneeling, the same position that she had taken when Lelouch met his death. She turned towards the young man standing before her, a smile on her upturned face. That smile, imbued with hope and joy, compelled him to kneel in front of her, taking one of her hands in his before pressing a kiss to the back, his wordless gratitude expressing itself through that simple touch.

Her golden eyes closed in relief as time that had been stilled started to flow again. She won't ever have to see anyone else die now.

Her last thought was to wish the two who were left behind peace and joy.

* * *

_For lovers who wanted to never part, the Code._

_For lovers who wanted to move on together, the Geass._


	5. Suzaku 3

AN: This particular chapter is sort of a flashback chapter, as it doesn't line up with the last one. Hope it's not too confusing!

_Suzaku POV_

_

* * *

  
_

In the quiet dojo, the man stood still. Dressed in a set of plain workout clothes, with a wooden sword in hand, he calmed his mind and willed away all thought. He focused solely on the familiar setting, letting the tranquility of the room seep into his body. No sound penetrated the walls of this room. There were no windows. And the door was locked. In here, no one intruded. In here, he could be free. There were no demands made on him. Not those for being a hero. Nor a traitor. Not a student, nor a Knight. Not a symbol, nor a lover.

The moment that he felt the burdens he's been carrying recede, and the memories fade, he whirled into motion. The patterns of the dance required no thought, ingrained in his body as they were.

This was the only time when he could stop pretending to be Zero.

.

Eight years. Eight years he had passed in a monotonous haze. There had been dissenters to his revival, for after all was said and done, Zero had also performed atrocious acts. There were also murmurs of dissatisfaction to Nunnally's ascension. Both were summarily quelled when the two of them proved their worth to their people and the world.

Britannia had been at peace for a few years now. The horrors of what could happen when the minds of men spiraled out of control was still too fresh in people's memories, so they all strived to make the best out of everything they could.

That year, his life changed again.

.

He had enrolled Jeremiah's help. He needed to use his Geass regularly, and it couldn't evolve fast enough for him. But he didn't want anyone to suffer for it. So he used it, and then let Jeremiah cancel it.

They couldn't meet up too often, and not for a long period of time. Nor could they always meet in the same setting. Repeatedly casting a Geass on another might have unforeseen side-effects, and he wasn't about to take any chances.

Weeks passed, then months. And two years later, his Geass had evolved into both eyes, permanently unable to be turned off. C.C.'s green contacts didn't see much use outside his personal suite. But he did wear them, because of the people who knew his identity, only Jeremiah was privy to his new secret.

.

When it came time for him to say farewell, he simply told Nunnally that he was leaving. That she was secure enough in her power not to need his backing anymore. And that she could tell the world that they no longer required miracles, for the peace that they are enjoying is a miracle, and one that they should treasure fully.

He disappeared the next day, taking the suit and mask with him and fading into the obscurity of time.


	6. Suzaku 4

_Suzaku POV_

_

* * *

  
_

Suzaku looked down at the piece of paper clutched in his hand before looking back up at the small cottage sitting in front of him. It was surrounded on three sides by green fields and bordering a forest on the last.

In his right hand, that small piece of white paper fluttered in the wind. In his left, a suitcase dangled from his limp hand.

He tried to convince himself that his hands really weren't shaking.

This was it.

After a full day and a half of travel, he had finally arrived at the place he'd yearned to be for two years. In that cottage, he could hopefully find the rest that his soul craves.

The green-haired witch had given him the directions just before she had embraced her final wish's fulfillment. She'd told him that the man living in that small white cottage, painted with splashes of blue, wasn't aware of anything that had happened within the past two years. She had smirked at him then, and told him "good luck handling the guy" and that "he's as prickly as ever, but I expect you wouldn't mind too much".

That humor of hers was really odd, sometimes.

.

This place really was in the middle of nowhere. The closest town was five miles away, and the cottage's nearest neighbors were only half a mile closer than that. Suzaku was wondering about how his soon-to-be host survived the trek to town when a loud neigh answered his question. The laughter that immediately followed also served to wipe any remaining thoughts from his mind.

_There he is, _his mind whispered, excitement and anticipation making his mental voice tremble.

Like the piper's music, Suzaku followed the sound of the laughter, rounding the cottage to the back, where a stable was situated. A slender young man, his dark hair tied in a ponytail that still reached his hips, was stroking the ebony mare, his fingers entangled in her mane as he brushed her back.

There was certainly shock, but it wasn't a shock that froze him in his place. It was shock mingled with a hint of regret along with a rush of pure affection. It made him able to stand there and admire how easy the young man's shoulders sat as he worked – no tension, no worry.

When he turned, the smile playing about Suzaku's lips became full-fledged and filled with warmth.

"Hello, Lelouch."


	7. Lelouch 1

_Lelouch POV_

_

* * *

  
_

Lelouch was content with his life.

His sister was well cared for. His best friend was still alive and doing well. The people of the country he had once ruled were mostly peaceful.

He's living with a green-haired woman he was fond of. His life was mundane and uncomplicated. His days filled with quiet moments.

He was content.

.

Ten years had passed since the day Lelouch vi Britannia had died. He hadn't had to kill, _to hurt_, anyone, in those ten years. And so Lelouch thinks those ten years were not a waste.

.

It took him by surprise when he woke up in a small cottage, C.C. by his side. He hadn't expected to survive. In those first few moments, when life was making itself known to him again, he realized what had happened.

He had, accidentally, taken his father's Code.

He didn't do, _say_, anything, besides smile gently at C.C.

He had quietly accepted his second chance at life.

.

He hadn't given a thought as to what he should do in the long run.

Tour the world with C.C.? Visit the places he had made his mark, and see how it flourishes now?

An eternity is a long time to while away.

But there was no rush. Eternity isn't getting any shorter just because he wanted to take a decade or two off from humanity.

.

So imagine his surprise when his best friend stood before him again, smiling his innocent and open smile. His eyes filled with the appreciation for life that he had always held in his heart.

.

Lelouch is not prone to bouts of speechlessness.

But he'll make an exception for Suzaku.

Because this was _Suzaku._

.

When he had finally recovered, Suzaku was still smiling that gentle and _beautiful_ smile. Lelouch only raised an eyebrow with all the haughtiness he commanded – because what else could he do when he was blushing and spilling over with contentment? – and simply asked "How long will you be staying?"


	8. Suzaku 5

**Part 8**

_Suzaku POV_

Suzaku laughed. An honest laugh that spilled from the bottom of his heart.

He hadn't laughed like that in a long time.

Trust Lelouch to surprise him with his reaction.

.

He had been prepared to receive many things from the other man. Anger, hate, rejection.

He had even been prepared to find that his friend would be happy to see him standing before him.

What he hadn't expected was that casual question, asked in a tone that Suzaku still fondly remembers as distinctly Lelouch.

Only Lelouch could carry off natural haughtiness like nobody's business, after all.

Suzaku took a step forward, his face still wearing a light-hearted and happy grin, as he enfolded the other man in a tight hug. "I will stay for as long as I could, for as long as you want me around."

.

_Lelouch. Lelouch... you really are alive. Even after I entered into a contract with her, I would sometimes daze off during the day, overtaken by the fear that you _aren't_, and that she was just being C.C., using me for her own amusement and gain. But you're here. Solid, real, and breathing. Lelouch..._

_.  
_

"Thank you, Lelouch."


	9. Lelouch 2, Suzaku 6

**Part 9**

_Lelouch POV_

Lelouch had lived the last few years of his life trying to predict the consequences of his every action. He had predicted, and then planned around those predictions.

By the end, his life had turned into one big play, orchestrated to perfection.

.

He tries not to predict anything anymore, though he just can't help that he's brilliant like that.

.

No, he's being not vain. Not this time.

.

So naturally, when he had mentioned in passing that C.C. usually lives in the cottage with him and that Suzaku shouldn't be surprised to see her wander in one day, and had received a startled look which turned solemn in the next heartbeat, he only required less than five seconds to figure everything out in his head.

.

Ten minutes later, and Suzaku was still avoiding his gaze. The green-eyed young man had fallen silent after the little revelation, choosing to settle himself into the guestroom that he was shown to, as he changed the sheets on the guest bed.

The silence was annoying him.

He puffed out a sigh before turning and catching the older man by the wrist, stilling his movements.

.

They stood like that, Suzaku looking to the side and not noticing the frown on his face.

.

"You look good, Suzaku. That's a good age to be staying in."

Suzaku twitched his shoulders.

Even more annoyed now that his attempt at light-hearted conversation had fallen flat, Lelouch glared.

"Why are you avoiding looking at me?"

Suzaku turned his head quickly, their eyes catching for a second, before the pair of green skittered off to look to the side again, though Lelouch could see that they regularly flickered back to him.

"I… don't know how you're taking C.C.'s death… so I thought I would…" He pattered off at the strange half-quirked smile on Lelouch's lips.

"Idiot." Lelouch squeezed the other's wrist fondly before letting go. "I'm not unhappy that it's happened. She's always wanted to pass on peacefully. You knew that. She wanted to die with a smile on her lips. And that's what happened."

"But you…"

Lelouch shrugged. "I'll probably miss her, the witch." He grinned. "But it's what she wanted, so I'm still happy for her." He pinned his companion with a penetrating stare. "You thought I would be mad that you were the one who did it?"

At Suzaku's uncomfortable expression, Lelouch shook his head. "Idiot," he muttered again, before smiling gently at him. "Don't worry. I'm happy that you are here, and glad that it was you who performed that service for her."

///_Suzaku POV_///

Suzaku's expression lightened at Lelouch's words. For a moment there, he had thought that he had hugely miscalculated, when he thought that he would be hated for taking C.C.'s life. But that didn't seem to be the case.

Trying to dispel the awkwardness he was feeling at the moment, he went back to unpacking, taking out the few sets of civilian clothes that he had purchased just before he left the capital.

Lelouch had gone back to the bedsheets, pressing the corners in and fluffing the pillows.

Suzaku grinned as he looked at his companion, his thoughts lightening even farther at the sight.

Lelouch was still very slender, the Code preserving his physical state as at the time that he had received it. He still looked to be seventeen.

And he had always appeared younger due to his physical appearance.

Suzaku thought that being surrounded by all that white linen sheets only made him seem even more delicate.

Quietly snapping his empty suitcase closed and setting it down inside the closet, he walked up to Lelouch and sneaked his arms around the younger boy in a light embrace.

He felt Lelouch still for a second, before the body encircled in his arms relaxed back into his.

The pale face turned towards him, and without a word, the two leaned into each other, bringing their lips together in a light and lingering kiss.

.

"Welcome home."

"I'm home."

* * *

AN: The last two sentences were left intentionally ambiguous as to who spoke which.


	10. Suzaku 7

**Part 10**

_Suzaku POV_

It was a big house for two people to live in.

There was the house proper, the barn where the horses lived, and the small garden in the back where vegetables grew.

Suzaku wondered how Lelouch was supporting himself and the house, since he doesn't work anymore.

"Sayoko comes over once in a while to bring me things that I might need. Sometimes Jeremiah would invite himself along too."

Suzaku then wondered why he never noticed this, since both Sayoko and Jeremiah worked for Nunnally. Sayoko guarded her during her private time, and Jeremiah took over the duty when she was out in public.

"They knew about your possible revival beforehand?"

Lelouch sent him a wry smile. "C.C. told them."

He hummed in understanding before digging back into the excellent dinner that Lelouch had provided.

.

Suzaku could guess why Lelouch hadn't sent a message to him. Lelouch didn't want him distracted from the duties of being Zero. And if they could only meet and part, then it would have saved him some heartache if he didn't know that Lelouch was once again alive.

The same was probably true for Nunnally.

Though Suzaku disagreed with the sentiment.

.

"Do you want to take a walk with me? I usually go down to the river before retiring for the night."

"Sure."

.

With the quiet of the night surrounding them, they sat on the smoothly pebbled river bank, silently admiring the reflections of moonlight on the surface of the small river.

Lelouch had tucked himself into the crook of his arms, leaning sideways on his chest.

There are many things that he could say, or ask.

But he understood Lelouch too well by now.

Though there _are_ certain things that needed to be said in order for them to move on.

"Why didn't we make love before the Requiem?"

Lelouch was silent for a beat, before his quiet voice floated back to him. "You didn't ask."

"Ah… you didn't offer."

Light chuckles sounded before the dark haired man turned around to look up at him, the Geass eyes eternally concealed by purple contacts.

Suzaku stared at them, feeling a powerful surge of both sadness and joy. This was the man who had taken and taken from the world, before giving it back a hundredfold.

He was truly stunning.

He smoothed a hand through the dark tresses before pressing a chaste kiss onto red lips.

"We have all the time in the world now."


	11. Nunnally 1

AN: Actually, this was going to be a chapter full of romance and fluffy loveliness as follows from the last. But then I decided not to do that and instead came up with a more … somber chapter. I hope you aren't too disappointed. (But it's longer! So that makes up for it? _;)

Also, I had been working on a oneshot (5000 words! _) from the CG fandom that was finally finished last month and am now working on another from the Naruto fandom. So... I haven't stopped writing, and I don't plan on giving this story up, no worries.

**Part 11**

_Nunnally POV_

A day after Suzaku left, Nunnally found out that Zero felt no more need to stay.

.

Three days after that, Nunnally pronounced the news to the rest of the members of the UFN.

.

Before that meeting with the representatives, Nunnally had a video conference with Kaguya and Kallen.

They agreed with her that, to the world, it would not be out of character if Zero decided to disappear one day.

And so, she and the rest of the UFN decided not to broadcast the news just yet.

.

A month after Suzaku left, the populace was starting to wonder about the fact that Zero hadn't appeared alongside the Empress of Britannia for such a long time.

Major news networks decided that the risk of annoying the political leaders of the world was worth the knowledge that they held of what happened to Zero. "No comment" was getting to be old, anyway, since it was obvious that they weren't worried about the situation.

The polite disclaimers had given them away by the third week.

Since they should be as concerned about the whereabouts of Zero as everyone else is.

They formally asked for an interview directly from the Empress.

.

In an international broadcast, Empress Nunnally vi Britannia announced to the world that Zero had felt the world was stable enough so that he no longer saw the need to oversee it so closely.

"_But he will always be watching over us. Of that, I am sure."_

The words of the Empress known for her sincerity, amongst other qualities, were accepted.

Though, not unexpectedly, there always would be conspiracy theorists who think of things from other possible angles.

...

...

Nunnally was tired.

For more than a year now, she had had to govern her country without a perpetual presence by her side.

It wasn't because she couldn't handle the work.

No, not at all.

It was just that she had started thinking of Zero's presence as something that she could always rely on for as long as she remains Empress.

Knowing that the person behind the mask cared about Nunnally Lamperouge as well as Nunnally vi Britannia gave her an anchor in her demanding life.

But Suzaku had left her, taking another legacy of her brother's away with him in the process.

.

The silence that privacy granted was no longer soothing. It was increasingly oppressive as the days went by.

Nunnally wondered if she could cope with living in the loneliness of her life for much longer.

.

A month later, she informed her advisors that she would be taking a three-day vacation to an undisclosed location.

She left for Japan an hour after that, in a jet piloted by Jeremiah and attended by Sayoko.

.

She came back looking even more tired than when she had left, though there was an air of determination in how she sat in her wheelchair.

She didn't speak to anyone else, and merely told her aide that all the backlogged paperwork are to be delivered into her private office as well as to schedule any backed up meetings for tomorrow.

From there, she went directly to her bedroom, where she kept every single gift that her brother had ever given her.

.

Surrounded by memories, she smiled wanly.

There was no reason for her to feel lost.

She was the one who had said it, wasn't she? _He will always be watching over us. Of that, I am sure._

She doesn't need anything more.

Not really.

During her visit to Japan, she had realized that she felt so tired because she felt lost. And that feeling arose due to the fact that there was no one _with_ her who knew all about her, and love her dearly both as Nunnally Lamperouge as well as Nunnally vi Britannia.

Loved her like her brother had done.

Loved her like Suzaku had done.

Loved her like Zero had _always _done.

Of the people who knew her both as an ordinary girl and as an Empress, there had always been, and always will be, that distance brought on by power and position.

She had that shown to her quite obviously on her trip to Japan.

She had hoped that her old friends from her time at Ashford would treat her as they used to, but it was not to be.

Certainly, they were less formal than many others were, but they never forgot that she was the Empress either.

She thought that they would understand, since she still kept in contact with them via the vidphone, and they were still good friends. But when she went to see them in person for the first time in ten years, it was as if an invisible wall was erected that she had never noticed due to the presence of a monitor. They couldn't figure out that when she was not the Empress of Britannia, she was only Nunnally Lamperouge. They couldn't understand that the woman who could talk about her school days, and mourn for her lost brother could only be Nunnally Lamperouge.

.

In her unconscious desire to reach for someone who could love her like she had been loved, treat her like she wanted to be treated, she had almost lost sight of the fact that her brother's love for her was eternal, and that he had given her the responsibility of helping to keep the peace in the world.

But no longer.

Even if she could have no one by her side, she would do all that she could to ensure that the peace bought with her brother's life would never be threatened.

This was the least she could promise.

...

...

Life progressed as it always does.

With her mind no longer burdened by the confusion of why she felt lost, Nunnally dove back into her duties and responsibilities, looking to the world like she always had.

Her smile was just as gracious as it always had been, her demeanor equally sincere.

Only the two people closest to her thought that things might not be as well as they appeared. Because she had never lost that tired smile that she had gained after her trip to Japan.

They were glad that she no longer spaced out anymore, as if waiting for something.

Yet they still worried.

Nunnally appreciated their attentiveness, but thought that their worries were mostly unnecessary.

So in an effort to give more support to the Empress, Jeremiah asked for Anya to come to the palace as an additional bodyguard. The former pilot had always got along well with the Empress, and Jeremiah thought that having someone like Anya to talk to would do Nunnally good.

.

The Empress spent a lot of time with her new guard, preferring to have the young Knight of Six as her attending protection whenever there was a party. That way, they could spend part of the time to talk.

Nunnally found Anya calming to talk to. The pink-haired girl had grown up beautifully, though she never lost the attitude that made her seem like she could take anything in stride.

She felt less stressed from her work after Anya came.

But she never lost that tired smile that she only displays when she wasn't performing her duties either.

.

Sayoko worried for her charge too.

Although she had a better idea of what that smile meant than Jeremiah did.

So after her request for a two-day leave was approved, she immediately set out from the palace.

Places to go. People to see.

...

...

Approximately two years after Zero's disappearance, Sayoko once again stopped in front of a small white cottage, painted with splashes of blue that reminded her of Nunnally's eyes.


End file.
